Electric switch



July 8.1924. y' 1,500,944

E M. R. KIMBRELL ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 23, 192.2

l VmvENoR /I/IHR VII/Av E. /f//vn BREL l,

A ATTORNEYS Patented July 8, i924,

UNITI-:D STATES; PMENT gPci-Fiel'ff.'15:;'v

MARvINia. KIMBRLL, F CHARLOTTE, NORTH oen-onine, vAss;GiveIt, vI3it ivrasixui As- SIGNMENTS, or ONE-HALF ,To MEMCO ENGINEERING e MANUFACTURING-o., me.;

or LONG ISLAND CITY, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION oF NEwYo-Rx.. Y

" ELECTRIC swri'oH.-

Be it known that L MARvIN R. KIMBRELL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Charlotte', in the *county of Mecklenburg and State of North Carolina, have invented certain newand useful Iniprovenients in Electri@ -Switches,of which the-followingis a'specification. Y

My invention relatesfto electric switches, and particularly to disconnecting switches for high voltage power lines. The object of myiin'vention fis to provide a switchy latch andireleasing mechanism ofv improved con struction having eertainrnovel' characteristics hereinafter' described`V or "illustratively embodied inthe accompanying drawings, in which--- A A Fig. l-gis aside elevationof aswitch installationin whichrny invention is embodied in one form and illustrating the position of the parts during the-closing operation of the switch; Y v Y Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation drawn to' a largei'lscale showingthe switchV in fully closed position;y n Y Eig'- 3 is a'l Section on .the line; 3&3, Fig. 2; .Figi il is efp'artial side elevation` Showing the position ofrthe latchIlieeiigagingl betet the initiation ofthe opening ment of the switch; f

Ylitig- V5 is asectonein thelii-iel 5:55 Fig- 4; and f Y y l lFig- 6 is a eide 'elevation of efmodiieii -arrangementotheA switch Vinwhioh the switch terminals' are connectedtoV theoppO- site' ends of astrng'o ASuspension insula- "tors-instead ofat the-ends' of two distinct piles of post insulators as illustrated in. ;F ig. l. 'It 'has heretofore; been suggested` `to .prozv-ide'a latch to retain th'eblade or a disconnecting Switch in' rcloseelpositiont So far as I am aware-,khoweverythe latchingdevices heretoforesuggested are `depenilent 'for their fproper operation upona more or ,less exact spacing of the switch-L termiiiale 'with relation to other- Under service, con- -itioiis,however;this exact epeeingie fre- Application mea-March 23,1922, serial No. 546,002.

quently not maintained, withther that ,the latching device itself is inoperative, or the latohfopening device is inoperativaso i that: either .the switch is not securely' main: tained -111 eloeedpoeii'fion, oi'if maintained in eloeedpoeition itienot possible.to open fit by the' ineens intended' .for thetpiiirpeee- By the present invention 1..;,herenroridede latch -and latch-opening device olfsiiohohtracter thatboth areoperative' regardless of variation in spacing between-the switch terminals. Uf

Referring to Fig. l, the switch yinstallation comprises a'peiropstinsulators l0 and 1l v hung from v a support; 12,.,of vanysuifable charact-er; The line wires 13'4 vand ...1 4

vare connected by .clipslv land 16 to. the

switch terminals 17 and 18 respectively.y i To `the terminal l' is hingedl at 19, theswfltollk bar 20, here in the form oi 'a pair of bars which straddle the switch terminal 17 at one vend7 andthe terminal plate 18 towardthe opposite `end of its length. t

e Associated withvthe terminal .18 are spacing blockshto the outerfeces of which tare lseeiiielsepling v platee 22, f which; i Carry their lower-ende loeifeleil latching dogs p23. r the, switch ie elojedithe bare 20 of the Switch .blade engegethe beveled ,faces of the doge v23,Vep.iiasieig-the latches Aand permitting the blcuestof stiegdleeiidengeg the switch fterminalV 18, Iae clearly shown in Fig. 3. When the; switchie .fully closed 'the dogs are retractedbvtheir spring arms 221110.' engegnapoetioiibeneath the. lower vedges of the ,switch bei; thus. holding the latter against escape from yswitchfclosing poetioril..

lThe `lat:ch-opening[device compr-isest 4 a spreader 'barQe connected at `oneend-byy a lilik .25 to. the; end ,ofthe :Switehbei?, by one @m26 Of-fthe bellieienk lever-:riveted ati- 274m the ,switch barat a Vpoint spaced Afrein the end of theylatteri and barili-ga Second erm 28 terminating-iiIi-eneye29 .t0 receive v.the hook e1f1 i3,0("1g- 5l 0-@.;.S..Wi}- ripening pole. 31.. The spreaderbar 24 is to l of a width substantially corresponding to the width of theswitch bar 20, yand in the closed positionr of the switch, underlies the latch dogs 23. When the switch is to be opened, the hook of the pole 31 is inserted in the eye 29 of the bell crank lever 26-28. As the` pole is drawn downward to open the switch, its .initial downward movement y swings the bell crank lever on its pivot 27,

i bar (see Fig. 5).

KO f

forcing; the spreader bar 24 upward between thedatchingdogs 23 Vand moving the latter in opposite directionsout of obstructing position beneath the loweredge of the .switch The switch b ar 1s now free to move' downward, and a further downward pull on the polel eects the openingv l to snap'undertherswitchblade to 4lockt it `in closed position. The spacer blocks 21 serve' fas stops whichl'liinitfthe upward movement 'of' the blade to an extent sufiicient'to 'bring the spreader 24 into` engagementr with v.the latching'dogs.vr i f Itis obvious that a variation in'thespaci ing ofthe switch terminals' 17 and 18 under `variousconditions of Ystrain on 'the line [wires 13 and 14, incident to the loading'of fthe latter 'with' sleet, Asnow or heavy wind, doesl notY affect either the engagement of or the eiectiveness of the spreader bar 24. The only result ofi such variation in spacing is a diiiferencein positionbf' theterminal v18 with'respect to the free endcf theswitch blade. Vv.The length of the -blade20,fand Vof the spreaderV bar 24 may bemadevr sufficient tocover any possible variationsV ofrs'pa'cing fwhich may occur within Athe limits of the .rnechani'cal strainsjwhich the insulators 10 i and 111fare capable yof withstanding'. KMoreover, theA construction is such that, it aut/ o- 1 inatically takes Careof possible inaccuracies inthe connection betweenv` insulator units, andfcif thefmountingfof Ather insulators on "thefsupport 12,` as'fwell" as a 'variation in l'the mounting of' the switch terminals lon thepost's. 1

In Fig. 6 I have shown the switclrmou'ntpositeendsfofthe strain insulatori-34. In

` vice 'a're'yjtlie same vas thatI j ust described. Ifhave shown the present invention aliplied'toa switch bar ofthe 'double blade ytype, itf'is'obvins'that' the yidea is equally @applicable to a switch inwhich" the 'bars "of"-`a r'singlelbla-de type areadaptedftobe engaged between a pair of terminal clips.

connected 'to the spreader.

Modiiications of structure to eiect this are within the skill of Vany one familiar with the art. Y

It may be pointed out, furthermore, that as an incident to the parallel ruler arrangement of the spreader 24 with relation to the switch bar 20, the .eiIort required to spread the latches 23 is uniform, regardless ot the longitudinal spacing of the contact 18 and latches ,23 fronithepivot axis27 of the bell and crankv at ythe moment the switch is opened. In this respect .the arrangement has'a marked advantage over a 'simple lever construction, in which one arm of the lever is used to open the latches 'fsince,"in" the vvflatter construction, the greater the distance from the lever pivot to the latches, the greater the eort ree quired to spread the latches. Y

1. An electric switch having a movable blade, latching means engaging the 'blade to hold it in circuit closing position, and a latch-freeing member mounted l on 'the blade and having aparallel rulervmotion with respect thereto. Y

2. An electric switch having a *mov-able blade1latching means-engaging the blade to hold it in circuit closing-position, and aV latch-freeing member mounted onfthe blade and having aV parallel ruler motion with respect thereto,`together with an operating lever pivotally connected towsaid blade and latch-freeing member. l

3'5An' electric switch comprising'a-l pair y y fof'switch' terminals subject to variation` in the latching dogs 23 with the Vswitch blade,

by the switch blade and operative; tofree the latching device at variable spacing of the switch terminals,y saidlever means including a spreader barvvhaving rva parallel ruler motion with respect to the switch blade.Y 4. An electric? switch' Vhaving ablade vpivoted at one end and movable at itsfoppositey end to open fand lclosed circuit fposition, latching means engagingthe free Iend of said bar to'hold itr infclosed circuit position,- in combination with a latch-freeing 1 member mounted at the free Vendjor' said bar and comprising a spreader having a parallel ruler motion' with respect'to'the bar, 'together with a bell'crank leverpivoted 'fto the" bar' and "having one yarm -^p ivotally a5. yAn Ielectric J switch" 'havi'ngy ia'v blade lpivotedvv at oneend and movableat its opposite fend to 'open'V andff closed circuit posi-V tionlatching` means yengaging the freelend of said bar to hold it"y iinJ closed` lcircuit'position, in Combination with a latch-'freeing member mounted at the free yend of said free end of the bellvorank koperating arm bar and comprising a spreader having a having a movement away from the switch 10 parallel ruler motion with respect to the bar to render'the spreader operative, and bar, together With a bell crank lever pivoted a movement toward the bar to render the a to the bar and having one arm pivotally spreader inoperative.

" connected to the spreader, the other arm of In testimony whereof I have signed my said bell crank having at its Vfree end means name to this speoiioation. for engagement by an operating rod, said MARVIN R. KIMBRELL. 

